Millions Of Viewers Get A Taste Of Life In A Care Home

The RMBI recently gave local and national media the opportunity to experience what it could be like to be one of the UK’s 500,000 care home residents.

During the demonstration of the RMBI’s pioneering Experiential Learning Training, the first of its kind, journalists were briefed by 2015 Care Trainer of the Year award winner, Jane Baldwin. Training was carried out by Beverley Roberts and Nina Stephens from Prince Michael of Kent Care Home.

The attendees participated in activities including:

• Being pushed in a wheelchair with artificially impaired vision

• Being supported to eat by a carer

• Being washed on the face and neck by a carer

• Being left on their own in an empty room for 15 minutes without           access to a clock or any form of communication

• Sitting in a wet incontinence pad for an extended period of time

The session, created by the RMBI, is delivered to every new carer as part of their initial training. By experiencing a small taste of the daily challenges felt by care home residents, trainees develop empathy and an understanding of the importance of enabling a lifestyle without fear, confusion or loss of dignity.

Attendees spoke with home residents and RMBI trainers at Prince Michael of Kent Court, Watford, the recipient of a prestigious Butterfly Service Award, recognising exceptional dementia care.

Jane Baldwin, 2015 Care Trainer of the Year, said: “This new way of training carers has already improved the lives of the people in our homes. Over 300 RMBI carers now have a greater insight to some of the challenges faced by our residents. We feel that Experiential Learning should be adopted by the whole care sector, as part of the drive to raise care standards to the highest level.”

You can view the coverage below at the following links:

Reuters – http://watch.reuters.tv/QSA

BBC Radio 4, You & Yours – http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05zr4ng